Trial Begins for 2019 Asnières Street Shooting: Main Suspect Still at Large

Bakoutoubo D., 26, should appear before the Hauts-de-Seine Assize Court this Tuesday, February 7, to be tried for the murder of Karim N., coldly shot with more than 80 12-gauge bullets in the chest, on the night of September 3 to 4, 2019 in Asnières (Hauts-de-Seine). But barring any surprises, the accused, on the run since the commission of this crime, will not be present at this trial scheduled until February 17, reports Le Parisien.

The young man, who lived in Suresnes (Hauts-de-Seine) for a long time before settling in Sucy-en-Brie (Val-de-Marne), is the main suspect in this case of a settling of scores between the Suresnes housing estate and the Fossés-Jean district in Colombes. His friend, Jonathan D., 26, also from Suresnes, is accused of complicity. Gunshot residues found on his gloves and a witness identify him as the shooter. But the young man has always claimed that he was rather at the wheel of the white Golf used that night and that he was unaware of Bakoutoubo’s intentions.

For the prosecution, Jonathan D.’s involvement in this crime is established, as it was he who went to pick up his friend Bakoutoubo in Sucy-en-Brie so that they could go, armed, to the Fossés-Jean district in Colombes for a settling of scores. According to the testimonies gathered during the investigation, Karim N. would have tried to act as a mediator in this conflict between rival gangs, but Bakoutoubo and his friend did not want to let the matter drop, ending up chasing Karim and his friends until the inevitable happened on the Avenue de la Redoute.

Jonathan D.’s girlfriend, as well as three other people, are also cited in this case and will be presented before the Assize Court on Tuesday. They are accused of "concealing a criminal from arrest or search," suspected of having helped Bakoutoubo and his alleged accomplice, Jonathan D., to flee.